The Will of the Senate - Battle reports

[econ21]

The Diary of Quintus

Summer, 267 AD

609 men

So, we are in. I have only recently come to realise what a sharp operator that Verginius is. Not only does he play Senators - and indeed the whole Senate - for fools, he has an uncanny way with assassins and spies. I feel uneasy in this place, with his agents lurking in dark places. But for now, they have served me well. The gates were ready opened for us when we arrived.

Half the Greek garrison were camped in the fields outside the settlement, so I had to choose whether to fight them as well as those inside. Instead, I decided to sneak my army past in the night and slip into Apollonia undetected. Once through the gates, my men made short work of the few defenders.



A gladius to the back - always reliable.

When the settlement was taken, I ordered my small army back out of the gates and we silently march under the moonlight to where the Greeks had made camp in the fields. The surprise was complete and hastily arraigned Greek hoplites did not have time to withdraw. We used our missiles to infuriate them and then I drew one unit out of line in pursuit of my escort, before swinging back to hit the rear of their brothers.



A lance to the back - even better.

We returned quickly to the settlement. My army has been blooded and the experience of battle is starting to make the men more confident. But the reports of the locals identify large Greek forces in nearby Thermon and Scodra. Surely it is only a matter of time before they mobilise to confront us?



Quintus enters a hornets' nest

How many seasons until help arrives? Let us call this:

Season 1.

588 men


Autumn, 267


...Quintus wanders round the gardens of the Provincial Palace in Apollonia. He stumbles and falls. A man from the shadows runs up to him and grabs him roughly. The ex-Consul's body is still and lifeless.

"Not yet you don't!" The shadowy figure raises his fist and crashes it down on Quintus's chest. Quintus coughs and starts. "Chirurgeon!" the unknown figure calls out loudly, before gently placing the old man on the grass and disappearing back into the undergrowth...


I don't know who will kill me first - the Greeks or my frail heart. At least it seems unlikely to be one of Verginius's agents, for now anyway. The incident in the gardens seems to prove that.

As for the Greeks, I am starting to doubt if they are serious or not. For their first expedition to retake Apollonia, they sent a brash young noble, Theras of Sparta, to besiege us. A mere boy of 18, lazy and careless. He came with only 454 men - less than my garrison - and proceeded to begin constructing fieldworks outside the town. The sheer gall of the boy! By the gods, I swear he was trying to bring me low by inducing another heart attack!

I waited patiently for the cover of darkness and then mustered our small army, leading them out of the gate at the double. Slowly, the Greek phalanxes turned and started to move off. I knew then that they would escape unless drastic action was taken. I led my escort in hot pursuit. I did not mean to engage the phalanxes themselves - I may be an old fool, but not so great a fool as to charge my escort into three steady phalanxes. Instead, I bypassed the hoplites and charged the peltasts accompanying them. My aim was to induce the phalanxes to halt so that my infantry could catch up with them.



Quintus's horse overtake the retreating phalanx and charge the peltasts

After I had run down the peltasts, the phalanxes stopped and turned to face my infantry who were puffing up the road from Apollonia. Two phalanxes charged our Italian spearmen. Our triarii was held back, to counter-strike at their rear after the Greeks were engaged. This went well until the third phalanx appeared out of the darkness and in turn charged the triarii in the back.



The crisis of the battle - hunters become the hunted.

Fortunately, our other infantry arrived in time to aid the brave triarii. Theras of Sparta himself died well, in a manner fitting of his proud city. He fought my escort single-handed for nearly as long as his hoplites engaged our infantry. His inevitable death demoralised the Greeks and brought to a swift end to the battle. If only young Theras's acumen had matched his courage. I wonder if his countrymen will seek to avenge their proud young general?

Season 2

582 men

to be continued